Similar to Southampton, Everton couldn't score their first Premier League goal in the ongoing season after two matches. Sean Dyche's side were also struggling with their goalscoring issues, and thus, had an underwhelming start to their league campaign with four consecutive defeats in as many matches.
However, Everton have managed to make a brilliant comeback in the previous few weeks, and their improvement in the attack has played a key role in Sean Dyche's side remaining outside the relegation-zone while also securing two important Premier League wins. One of their best players in the front three has been 24-year-old left-winger Dwight McNeil, who joined the visitors two years ago in a £20 million transfer move from Burnley.
Everton's £20 million in-form star could miss the Southampton fixture
McNeil previously starred for Burnley in the Premier League under current Everton manager Sean Dyche and established himself as a regular first-team starter at the club. Following their relegation in 2022, McNeil arrived at the Goodison Park where he was reunited with Sean Dyche six months later, and since then has enjoyed significant progress as a left-sided playmaker.
This season, McNeil has displayed his huge potential by scoring three goals and providing three assists for Everton in the Premier League. That includes an impressive second-half brace against Crystal Palace to complete a comeback 2-1 win to guide Everton to their first league win this season.
Further, McNeil also scored as well as assisted a goal in the narrow 3-2 defeat against Aston Villa, which signifies his growing importance in Sean Dyche's front three. However, the 24-year-old in-form forward could be unavailable for the upcoming Southampton fixture after picking up an injury in their 1-1 draw with Fulham.
Speaking about McNeil’s recovery and whether he can play against Russell Martin's side, Everton manager Sean Dyche, said,
"Dwight’s got a chance. We’re hopeful. He’s done a bit of work with the physio team, so we’re hopeful about him."Sean Dyche
Dyche highlighted that McNeil is still continuing his recovery from the injury and could play as a second-half substitute for the visitors. Everton have scored a lot of goals in the second half in the ongoing season, and thus, manager Russell Martin needs to form a reliable defence in order to avoid conceding any last-minute goals in this match.
Southampton will aim to continue their good momentum after their thrilling 3-2 Carabao Cup win over Stoke City and now it remains to be seen whether the Saints can end their winless Premier League streak in the upcoming Everton fixture.